On the evening of the 13th, Attorney-at-Law Buddhika Mallawarachchi and his wife, Nisansaala Wellala Arachchi, were shot dead in the parking lot of a supermarket in Akuregoda. CCTV footage showed two assailants opening fire using a T-56 rifle and a pistol before fleeing the scene.
Immediately after the incident, two Colombo Special Crime Investigation teams began tracing reverse CCTV footage along the route from which the shooters’ vehicle had arrived. Another team examined footage to determine the escape route.
During this investigation, officers observed a person approaching the suspects’ vehicle at a certain point before they reached their target and handing something to the occupants. The vehicle was quickly identified, and its registered owner was traced to a woman.
When investigators contacted her, they discovered that the vehicle had been rented to a rental company in Pannipitiya. Further inquiries revealed that a man had rented the vehicle for three days. The rental company had installed GPS tracking technology, enabling police to locate the vehicle in real time.
Arrest of Brothers Linked to the Crime
The car was eventually found in Maharagama. Two brothers travelling in the vehicle were arrested. They were identified as 20-year-old Nadun Kaweesha and 24-year-old Sanoj Kokila.
CCTV footage confirmed that one of the brothers had supplied weapons to the killers’ vehicle. The other had driven the car. Both brothers, along with the individual who rented the vehicle, were arrested.
During questioning, investigators learned that although the brothers were indirectly involved, they claimed they did not know the identity of the target, whether the victim was a lawyer, the location of the murder, or the identities of the gunmen.
Police say they had received instructions from notorious criminal “Karandeniya Sudda,” who is believed to be hiding overseas. On the morning of the 13th, they allegedly received a call from Dubai informing them that “goods” would be delivered in Angoda and were instructed to transfer them to a vehicle in Akuregoda, identified by its number plate.
The firearms were reportedly transported to Angoda by a 28-year-old man known as “Polgasowita Dila,” who was arrested by the Western South District Crime Division on the 17th. Investigators say Dila operated under the direction of figures known as “Modara Nipuna” and “Malwane Tutu,” claiming it was “police work.”
No Lawyers for the Suspects
The two brothers were produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court. Not a single lawyer appeared on their behalf.
Under the law, every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Every individual has a constitutional right to legal representation, and lawyers have a professional obligation to appear for clients, subject to basic conditions.
While more than a hundred lawyers, including Bar Association President Rajeev Amarasuriya, appeared on behalf of the slain lawyer, none appeared for the suspects. The court granted police permission to detain and question them for 48 hours.
Possible Links to Previous Killings
Investigators have noted similarities between the behavior of one of the shooters in this case and the killer involved in the murder of the Singer showroom manager in Ambalangoda.
In that earlier incident, when the firearm initially failed, the victim chased the attacker. Instead of fleeing, the gunman switched weapons and shot the victim. Investigators now suspect that one of the current suspects may be the same individual, based on distinctive movements and mannerisms.
In the Singer Kosala murder case, investigators later found that the killers had come from the house of former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon in Kandy. It was revealed that Karandeniya Sudda had repaired the roof of that house, and investigators suspect the property may have been used as a safe house.
Authorities now believe it is highly likely that one of the shooters had connections to that location.
These revelations have raised serious questions about whether individuals in the highest ranks of the police can account for their assets and associations. The shadowy links between criminals, politics, and law enforcement are once again under scrutiny.
A Question for the Legal Profession
This tragedy has also sparked debate within the legal community.
Lawyers have taken to the streets, describing the murder as an attack on the rule of law. However, the underworld has historically relied heavily on legal representation. Lawyers have appeared in court on behalf of notorious criminals without objection from society or criminal elements.
If professional lawyers were truly targeted merely for representing controversial clients, many would already have faced similar violence.
Therefore, before declaring this incident a fatal blow to the legal profession, it is important to uncover the full truth behind the crime.
A Criminal State?
What is emerging is a troubling picture of a criminal ecosystem sustained not only by politics but also by elements within law enforcement and legal structures.
Too often, suspects are arrested and later killed in alleged encounters, temporarily calming public outrage while leaving deeper networks untouched.The government claims it is determined to eradicate organized crime. If so, it must confront not only the gunmen but also the powerful individuals who shelter, enable, and protect them.
Only then will justice prevail.
